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Day #9: The Descent (2005)

A group of friends go on a caving experience, which soon goes terribly wrong. Cut off from the world by a cave-in, they try to find a path to freedom – only to discover that they’re not alone.

My take:

I love The Descent. Plain and simple.

There are a lot of movies that involve finding new creatures below the earth’s surface, but I think that The Descent tops them all. Exploring themes of friendship, betrayal, grief and revenge – all while portraying the characters in a brutal fight for their lives? What could possibly be bad about that?

Best of all, it’s a cast of women. And they’re not just a group of two-dimensional hot babes, flailing around helplessly; they’re physically fit women with depth, portrayed by actors – particularly Shauna Macdonald and Natalie Mendoza – who bring an intensity to their roles that is absolutely engrossing.

There are some genuinely scary moments in this movie, which isn’t something I can say about a lot of horror movies. Both the creatures and the environment are utilised to their fullest potential, capitalising on the visceral fear created by the idea of being trapped in a dangerous, enclosed space with something that is intent on killing you.

Really, though, this movie is all about the characters – and I think that’s why I like it so much. The creatures are almost an aside – albeit a kind of important one – in their journey, which culminates in a great finale.